5 Things motherhood has taught me

So today's post is going to be about being a mother.  First of all I want to say that anyone who is a mother or is going to be a mother...congratulations...enjoy it...it's a beautiful thing.  So here we go......

1) Be patient
      -As a mother, I have learned I need to be patient.  Now I have always been a pretty patient person, however when you have a child, being patient means so much more than just dealing with people.  It means that when you are in a hurry and your child is just enjoying life, because they don't need to be in a hurry, you just need to smile and tell yourself, they are just children and you need to have patience.

2) What you want goes out the window
      -As a parent you come to realize that the things that you really want, come in second place to your child.  All of a sudden you are responsible for another human being who relies on you for everything, so you need to understand that and be selfless and put your child first before yourself.

3) Pick Your Battles!!!s LOL
      -I'm am learning this as a young mom in my mid 20's.  I will be 26 here in September, and at the end of August my son will be 2 years old, and he's already acting like a 2 year old.  Matter of fact my son's birthday and my birthday are only a week apart so that's really cool.  But anyway...  Sometimes I have to remember to just pick my battles.  If he wants to keep his shoes on because he loves them, then that is ok with me, as long as he does what we are going to, whether that's getting ready to go somewhere or getting ready for bed.  I don't want to be fighting with him about his shoes because it's not that important.  So just pick your battles.  Realize that there are some things that are not going to hurt your child if they wear something, or whatever.

4) Always be prepared
       -I've also learned to be prepared for anything.  I always make sure there is an extra diaper bag that stays in my car, that has everything our normal diaper bag has in it, because I am always forgetting something, and when I forget something, I know that in the car, there is an extra set of clothes, or diapers, or toys, or whatever.  It comes in handy in case you are out in public, and your child has a melt down, or they are so messy that it's embarrassing; come on I know all you mothers have experienced this sometime in your lifetime with your children LOL, and you don't have what you need in the store because you didn't think you would need it...well have an extra set of everything in your car for those unexpected moments.

5) Always love your child no matter what & tell them that you love them
          -You should always love your child no matter what they have done or what they do.  Love is so powerful and its the one thing, that your child will remember as they get older.  I always tell my son that I love him.  I give him lots of hugs and kisses and I say I love you all the time, to the moon and back.  Yes he is young but he will remember that once he gets older.  Don't go a minute or a moment without telling your child that you love them.  Children are a blessing from God, and as their mother, we should always love them.

Question of the day:
    -What is one thing that motherhood has taught you?

The benefits of Morning Showers

Hello everyone and welcome back to another blog post.  Today's topic is morning showers and the benefits of them. Now personally I love morning showers because they wake me up and just get me ready for the day, however I know that some people love their night showers, and others really don't care when they take a shower as long as they take one.  So here are some benefits of morning showers.

Survey:

Herbal Essence surveyed 1000 US women ages 18-35, and found out that 90% of them said that morning showers transformed their day and it was the few times where they actually had alone time.  (www.beautystat.com)

Did you know that morning showers:
   -increases immunity
   -improves blood circulation
   -decreases stress
   -relieves coughs
   -increases fertility
   -instantly warms you up
   -improves hair conditions
 (www.venusbuzz.com)

So morning showers have amazing benefits that even I didn't know...and this was very interesting for me.  I still love morning showers, however everyone is different and whether you take a morning shower or an evening shower is up to you, as long as you just take showers and have good hygiene.

That's all for today, hope you all enjoyed the little information that was given to you, as I also found it very interesting.

Question of the day:
  -Do you like morning showers, or evening showers better...or do you not care as long as you take one?  Let me know in the comments below and have an amazing day.

What I'm Currently Reading

Hello and welcome back to my blog. I know I have been gone for a long time, but if you read my update, you will know why. You may see a few things different, look it over...hope you like it as much as I do.  Without further ado...  let's jump right into the post...What am I currently reading?  :)

So this is the book I am currently reading.  It is such a good book so far and just love it.  So I'm going to just show you what it is about because it's really hard to put into my own words, then I will tell you my thoughts thus far:  

Background

The Russian Concubine dazzled readers. Now, its gifted author delivers another sweeping historical novel.

Davinsky Labor Camp, Siberia, 1933: Only two things in this wretched place keep Sofia from giving up hope: the prospect of freedom, and the stories told by her friend and fellow prisoner Anna, of a charmed childhood in Petrograd, and her fervent girlhood love for a passionate revolutionary named Vasily.

After a perilous escape, Sofia endures months of desolation and hardship. But, clinging to a promise she made to Anna, she subsists on the belief that someday she will track down Vasily. In a remote village, she's nursed back to health by a Gypsy family, and there she finds more than refuge, she also finds Mikhail Pashin, who, her heart tells her, is Vasily in disguise. He's everything she has ever wanted but he belongs to Anna.

After coming this far, Sofia is tantalizingly close to freedom, family?even a future. All that stands in her way is the secret past that could endanger everything she has come to hold dear.

Source:

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2309409.The_Red_Scarf

My thoughts thus far:

This book so far is amazing.  It's really taught me alot about how life was back then.  Labor camps were brutal and you had to work for your food.  If you didn't finish your work, you didn't get as much food as the others, or your food got rationed, to where you got less food everyday, to where one day, you may not get any. So far I have felt so humbled to live in the era that we live now.  We don't have to worry about almost starving to death, or eating bread crumbs off the floor.  These people in these labor camps, had to deal with that.  They had to deal with the harsh winters, and not having a lot of clothes on their backs.  They had to endure beatings or lashes when they were tired and felt like they could not go on any more, yet they still had to work until the people in charge(might I add, were not very nice) told them they were done for the day.  I was even reading in the first few chapters, that when it snowed really hard, they had to have a rope, and hang on that rope just to make sure they wouldn't get lost in the snow and die.  I mean WOW!!! That would be so scary, I am just so humbled by this book so far.  It's such a good book, and I can't wait to finish it.  There are about 471 pages, and there are 64 chapters.  Right now I am on chapter 15 so I have quite a lot left to go, but I am just so excited to read the rest of this, and learn the history about this book and what happens.

Question of the day/week:

What book are your currently reading?  Share in the comments below.

Just an update on why I've been MIA

Hello everyone, so I'm just going to make this a quick post. I've been MIA as some of you who follow me have noticed. It's just been a very stressful, busy past few weeks. You know when you just feel like your head is spinning with so much stuff you know you have to do or get prepared for...yea that's how it's been for me lol. I am getting things ready for the vacation my husband and I are taking in 3 weeks, and getting things in order so Liam can stay with my family for that week, getting things ready for his 2 year old birthday party here at the end of August. I've been also studying for my license, and dealing with school...because I am in college finishing my masters degree in healthcare administration...and I have a year left, so I'm thinking about after I do all of that and get a job in that...I might want to go and get my nursing degree or become a pediatrician or a therapist that works with young children....so that's all that thinking. On top I've been coming up with a new blogging schedule which is this so far: let me know if any of you think this is good. I will take mon-tues off cus those are the days I'm most busy with school and Liam's therapy, blog we'd-fri...and plan posts sat-sun.  I really like that and I feel I can really stick with that...I also want to change my blog background, get a new camera so I can start posting me singing or playing piano cus I know some of you have been asking about that and also I need new computer for school and blogging. So that is what I've been doing, thinking and of course working in my marriage cus it's been kind of rocky, and just being a mom cus I love it. So that's an update...I will be posting probably starting Wednesday on my new schedule but I wanted to update you all and let you all know what's going on. I'm trying guys lol...I'm 25, with a kid and married and it's hard at times. Especially cus I'm not working right now since I had to quit my job I had for almost a year because of some issues. Hope you all understand and thank you for all of you who have stayed with me even though I haven't blogged in awhile. I love you all and blog posts will be coming next week. Take care, have an amazing weekend and let me know how your summer has been.  I would love to hear about it😀

Start Loving Your Body; Stop Believing the Lies

Hello everyone and welcome back to another blog post.  Today we will be talking about loving your body.
My story:
   For as long as I can remember I have always been told that I'm too short and too skinny.  I've been picked on and told I need to grow; that I need to have muscle, etc. And it got to the point where I just got upset every time someone told me something that I really could not change.  But then I decided that I needed to stop that, get those negative comments out of my head, and start to live my life the way I wanted...and part of that was to start to love my body just the way it is because I am beautiful.
   People these days focus alot of their attention and energy on their body.  They say things like "I'm too skinny, I'm too fat, I don't look like that model, I'm not good enough and more."  They let those negative thoughts invade their minds which lands them in trouble.  What people need to start doing is to put a stop to those voices in their head and start filling your head with positive thoughts about their body.  The way that you look, is not going to change your attitude on the inside.  The way that you are made is the way God made you.  If he made you and loves the body that he gave you, then why can't you love the body too?  Why can't you say  " I'm beautiful and believe it?"
  There is NO PERFECT DIET! THERE IS NO PERFECT BODY, NO MATTER HOW MUCH PEOPLE THINK THERE IS.  You are beautiful just the way you are.  You have to tell yourself that everyday, because that is the only way you are going to understand that everyone's body is perfect and beautiful in their own way. I can't stress this enough.  Let go of the negative comments and voices and replace them with positive comments, thoughts, and voices  You have to believe  that your body is beautiful and if you believe it, then others will as well.  If you have curves...embrace them, if you are short...embrace it, if you are tall...girl rock it. Your body is wonderful and you should love it and feel great in it.  Wear that dress girl, rock that body and don't let other's opinions about the way that your body is, control your life. Do you love your body?  If not...when will you start?

As always, I hope this inspires someone and encourages someone out there.  Make sure your nieces love their body, make sure your daughters, granddaughters, sisters, step sisters love their body.  Tell them that they are beautiful, tell them that God loves their bodies...If they believe it, then others will too.

Source:
Pinterest

Put Everything into God's Hands-Bible Study With Vina

Hello everyone and welcome back :)  Today is another "Bible Study With Vina" and we will be talking about Putting everything in God's Hands.  Have you ever been in a situation where you just didn't know what you were going to do?  You were so upset you have so much to think about, and it's all going wrong and you don't know how you are going to pay your next bill, how are you going to fix your marriage, how you are going to get your car fixed, or put food on the table or even catch a break?  I'm sure we have all been in a situation like that once or twice in our lives.  Well I have recently gone through something where if something didn't change...so I was doing my bible study last night, in my living room with my bible and journal and Ipad and I came across this verse and article and I'm going to share it with you.

PUT EVERYTHING INTO GOD'S HANDS

2 Corinthians 1:9New International Version (NIV)

   "9 Indeed, we felt we had received the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead."
Story: 
    So I was doing my bible study last night, and I read this article that just inspired me and encouraged me and gave me hope and something to think about, so I wanted to share it. This article talked about a man and his wife.  The husband had lost his job, and his wife had no idea what they were going to do.  But then this man read this verse, and it reminded him of Paul.  Paul was a man of faith and he wrote more than half of the new testament.  Now Paul was in a situation where he had no idea what he was going to do, but he decided that he needed to stop relying on himself, and put his faith and trust in God and he did.  By doing this God got him through the situation.  Now going back to the husband and wife.  The husband would get asked by so many people "what are you going to do?" He would reply...I don't know... but God does."  His wife realized at that moment that it was time they stop relying on themselves and their own wants and desires and worries and start putting their faith in God, because only him can help them through the situation they were in; and eventually, the husband got a really good job.

Source:
http://www.jesusfreakhideout.com/devotionals/puteverythinginGodshands.asp

My Reflection:
    I wanted to share that because it was so inspiring to me; and I encourage everyone to read it because it's really encouraging. Anyway,  this is something I am still learning especially after the week that I've had.  You know a lot of us only think about ourselves, and we want and desire so much, but we never realize that God already has a plan for us. He already knows what is going to happen and what he wants for our lives...we just have to stop thinking about ourselves and about how bad our lives are at the time, and start relying on what God has in store for us.  We have to put our faith in God and just let him take over our lives, our desires, our wants and remember that "he will supply all our needs, according to his riches and glory-Philippians 4:9, and if we ask, we will receive-Matthew 7:7, and when you do not ask, then you do not receive-James 4:2-3"...but we need to put our faith in the Lord above who created us and knows how our lives will turn out.
I hope this blesses, inspires and encourages someone out there today.

Question of the day:
  -Have you ever had a time where you just had to put your trust and faith in God?  You just didn't know where else to turn, and he was the one who was there?  Let me know in the comments below and have a great day.

The Importance Of "Me" Time,Taking care of yourself & 6 things I like to do in my "Me" Time

     * First of all, I do want to thank my husband for talking to me about this.  He just thought that even though I have done this topic before, that it would be a great reassurance and reminder to all the mothers out there, or pretty much anyone who doesn't take time for themselves. So let's get into it shall we? 
      *Hello everyone and welcome back to another blog post.  Today we will be talking about the importance of having "Me" time.  I know I might have discussed this before but I want to talk about it again because I feel it's so important.  Having Me time doesn't mean just forgetting about others or your family or anything like that, it just means taking time to have alone time with just you.  It means doing something just for you that no one can take away. This could be reading, writing, going for a bike ride or waking up early and exercising; doing yoga or shopping LOL. 
    * Me time can be anything, it's just time that you spend with just you and no one else to make sure that you feel ok.  It's ok to help others and take care of others, but you have to remember that if you, yourself are not taken care of and happy, then everything in your life won't be either. So take care of yourself, and then take care of other's around you.  Now here's what I like to do when I have "Me" time.

-Write- writing soothes the soul and mind.  It makes you reflect on the days or weeks and helps you examine what has been going on in your life.

-Read-Reading takes you to another life, another town.  This also soothes you but it also lets you escape into someone else's world for a little bit and not think of your own.

-Be creative-I love to just sit down and sketch, draw or paint a picture. I have always loved art, any form, so this is just something that makes me happy.

-Listen to music-I love listening to music.  It's just one of those things that I feel is a world thing.  It can make anyone feel anything, and it's just amazing.

-Taking a walk/being in one with nature-I love nature.  I love walks and looking at all the beautiful things God has created. It can be so peaceful and reassuring to us that this world we live in, is actually really beautiful if we really look and take the time to take it all in.

-Reading my bible-I always get reassurance when I read my bible. I usually journal as well, but I just feel better when I read my bible and really pay attention to what God is telling me.

Question of the day:
   -What do you like to do in your "Me" Time?  Do you ever take a "Me" time break?  Share in the comments below and have a great day :)

 Sources:
   My own images
   Pinterest

5 Tips for Motivation and Inspiration that I Use

5 Tips I Use to Feel Motivated and Inspired

Hello everyone and welcome back to another blog post.  Today we are going to talk about inspiration and motivation.  I am going to share my 5 tips on how I get motivated and how I come up with inspiration for my blog posts, and then you can tell me yours.  Lets get started :)


1) Change up your daily routine
       -Something I love to do when I feel like I am not motivated is to change up my daily routine.  Lately I've been exercising in the mornings or afternoons, that way I feel better about myself, and I feel motivated for the day.  So if you do your work at home sometimes, try going to a coffee shop and studying or do work. If you play with your kids at home, take them to the park and play with them. This will give you motivation for the day, and also it can spark up some inspiration.
2) Give your mind a break
       -We often work and never realize that our minds need a break sometimes.  One way I love to give my mind a break is to just relax, take a walk and enjoy the fresh air,read my bible and journal. This will not only give you that vitamin D that everyone always talks about from being outside in the sun, but it will also let your mind rest for a bit, and just relax.  You can also spend time with friends and family, this way you don't have think to much, and you can just be silly and comfortable with the people who make you feel great about yourself. 

3) Enrich yourself
      -Go on pinterest
      -read a book
      -do crafts or art 
          Find inspiration from things that make you happy and that you like to do.  I love going on pinterest, or reading a book to find my inspiration.  This not only makes me happy, but it's also a way for me to just do something for me.
4) Capture your inspiration
       -Remember to always jot things down, take pictures or videos.  When you feel uninspired, pull out your notes, pictures and videos, and think about what amazing content you can create from all of those.
5) Organize your space
       -I love doing this when I feel unmotivated.  When my space is a mess, I feel a mess. So a great thing to do is organize and clean it up, change it up a little that way you can feel inspired and motivated to work.  When I have a clean and organized space I feel like I can conquer the world :)

Question of the day:
   What are some tips/ways that you do to feel motivated and inspired?  Share in the comments below and have a great day :)

Sources:
 My own pictures that I took

Conversations with God

Hello everyone and welcome to another blog post.  I've been absent from this blog because I've been focusing on family and God.  Recently I had something happen and since then, I've just needed a break from this blog. So this is the start to a page called Bible Study With Vina...and I have already added posts to that page, so if you would like to read them, you can go to that page and read them easier or you can just scroll down til you find the one you want to read and read it.  I just made it a tad easier for you, and since I could not make it so it won't show up on the home page, it will still be on the home page. So to start this post off today we are going to have a verse to think about and maybe memorize.

Micah 6:8

  "And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God."

    So before we really begin I want to ask:  How is your prayer life?
I know for me, I didn't really start praying until I was in my teen years, because up until then I didn't really know what prayer was.  I always figured prayer was just saying ok we are going to pray,  like does everyone know we are praying, we are going to pray. I knew that we prayed before we ate because that is what I was used to but other than that, prayer didn't really mean a lot to me.  Now that I'm in my young adult years, I can see how prayer is definitely the key to having that connection or having a conversation with God.   In 1 Thessalonians it says we are to "pray continually."  We are to always pray.  I consider God my best friend.  In my loneliness times, God was my friend.  He listened to me when I needed someone to listen.  When you have that best friend, you talk to them about your life, and things that are happening, and that is the way that God is.  If God is your best friend, you want to talk to him about everything.  The one thing I love about prayer is that there are no rules.  There are no rules in saying you have to pray this way, he just suggest that you pray.  In Philippians 4:6 it says "Do not be anxious about anything but in EVERY SITUATION, by prayer or petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God."  I love this verse because it is not saying sometimes, or in one situation...it says in Every Situation we are to talk to God and present what we ask to him.  
    So would you say that your conversation or your relationship with God is that of a friend, or that of someone who you just met?  
I ask that because... God is a personal God and you can't get personal with God or you can't get close to God if you don't pray. If you do not pray than you are not going to grow your relationship with God...just like if you ignore your friend, that friendship is not going to grow, it's going to shatter into a million pieces.  I also love that when you get to know God more, you get to know more of yourself...just like when you get to know someone, you sort of get to know more about yourself. 
  How do you pray to God?  Do you ask him for things that are for him, or are only for yourself? As I was thinking about this blog post, I was taking notes in my journal, because I was having my quiet time with the lord and I had my bible open and was looking up scripture.  Two verses popped into my head when I asked myself this question:
James 4:2-3 which says "You do not receive because you do not ask."  And then Philippians 2:21 says "For everyone looks out for his own interests, not those of Jesus Christ."  Those two verses were like Wow...a light bulb came on. 

    Sometimes we pray to God and ask him for things that are only for ourselves.  We don't think about what does God want from us or for us.  We only think about  what we want.  Maybe we pray to have a nice car, instead of asking... God what is it that you want me to pray for?  Yes it does say if we do not ask we will not receive, but it also states that we have to look for what God wants from us or what he wants for us, instead of just forgetting about him and only looking out for ourselves.  Now this blog post is getting really long so I will leave it at this:
God wants you to be best friends with him, and you can do that by praying and talking with him like you would your best friend. Just get out your bible, a notebook or journal, and have your quiet time with him. Don't be embarrassed, God just wants a relationship with you...it's not a beauty, or personality contest.  We will pick back up with this later.   

Comments Section Discussion Questions:
   -In the comments section... tell me how you have conversations with God?  Do you journal, do you pray, how do you talk to God?  Is God your best friend or is he just someone you just met and don't want to get to know more about?  God bless :)

Recap:
1) How do you have a conversation with God?  By praying, journaling, talking with him like he is your best friend, by reading your bible and going deep into scripture.
2) Make him your best friend and talk to him about your life
3) Don't pray for selfish reasons, but pray and consider God's interests for your life
4) Read the scripture and get to know God...and become best friends with him

Realizing you are enough gives you the courage to be vulnerable

           

**VOLUBILITY IS: TO LET OURSELVES BE SEEN, DEEPLY SEEN, VULNERABLY SEEN; TO LOVE WITH OUR WHOLE HEARTS EVEN THOUGH THERE'S NO GUARANTEE.

BRENE BROWN

                                       

Poem I wrote: I Discover Me

I build walls, I let no one in,

I hide my fears, I hide within.

I don’t want people, seeing the real me,

So I keep my hurt inside, I keep the pain in deep.

I can’t release, I can’t feel free,

Until I realize, I’m only hurting me.

So I start to tear down the walls that I have built,

I start to let the tears fall, til I’m ok within.

I start to get honest with myself,

I start to let people know the real me.

I realize it’s ok if people don’t like me,

Because... I like me.

I start to open up to myself, and learn to be by myself,

I have stopped looking for others approval,

 and I now look to myself.

I start doing what I love, I start enjoying life,

I start seeing each moment as an opportunity,

to grow within myself and gain a new perspective.

I have realized that by being vulnerable,

I discover myself, I take the veil off,  I discover who I want to be,

I… Discover Me.

I wrote this poem because it's what I have learned and I think it's something we can all learn about ourselves as we grow in ourselves. I want people to see the real me, see that I am a vulnerable, emotional person and that I write, because I can write and learn who I am.  I feel like jounraling, or blogging is my therapist, someone or something who is trying to open me up and tear down the walls that have consumed who I really am. I have come to realize that "I AM ENOUGH."  Realizing that you are enough can be hard. For me...it's really hard. I'm going to open up on here alittle bit. I'm really small and I've always been picked on because of it. It has taken me a long time to be ok with my size. I also have a problem where I feel like people need to like me. It's a constant challenge and struggle and sometimes I feel like I'm never going to win the battle. Recently I've just been searching myself and figuring out who I am. I feel that in your 20's, which I'm almost 26, you struggle to find out who you are. You struggle to find out what your purpose is in life. But one thing that I'm learning is that by realizing I'm enough, I can finally be vulnerable. I can knock down the walls, let the tears fall and let myself feel real emotions. I can actually tell someone something that I've been hiding because I felt like they would hate me or not understand. I was watching a video that said..."vulnerability is the only bridge to connections." By realizing that you are enough, you can finally build real connections with people. You can build true, sincere friendships that can last a lifetime. When we finally accept the fact that who we are is enough, we start to discover who we really are and where we want our life to go. We finally feel happy and satisfied with who we are as a person, and stop looking to others to make us happy. We realize that things that have happened in the past, has helped shape who we are now. It's ok to be vulnerable because you come to realize that "you are enough."

                         

Note:

I have worked really hard on this blog post.  It took some time for me to really decide what I wanted to say and how I wanted to say it.  This just seemed to hit me and I feel like I needed to share it with you all in hopes that it will change someone's life today or inspire you in some way.

Sources:

*https://www.ted.com/talks/brene_brown_on_vulnerability/transcript?language=en#t-1167260

*Pinterest 

Day 3 of blogging challenge: What I've learned about work that fascinates me

So this is an interesting blog post title but I feel that it can be answered many ways.  I feel that the one thing I've learned about any type of work that fascinates me is that it can always change.  It can take you into a direction that you were not expecting you to go on.  For example this blog. I just wanted to write for myself, and not really think about comments that I get, but I didn't realize that I would get people who actually liked what I had to say.  That makes this blog more and more important to me.  Life can bring things together that can always change, and I feel that by things always changing, you learn more and more about your business and the direction you want to go in.  The more I write on this blog, the more I realize that I am getting to know myself better and I'm loving the direction I'm going.